Piano Quartets Nos.1, 2 : The Schubert Ensemble

At first glance, Gabriel Faur seems to fit neatly into the history of French music as a pupil of Saint-Sans and a teacher of Ravel. Yet he stands apart from the mainstream because of his unique musical language, and because rather than writing colorful orchestral pieces he preferred to work in the comparatively modest media of the song, solo piano, and chamber music. With the exception of the late String Quartet, all of his chamber works combine the piano - Faur's own instrument as a performer - with strings. Among the earlier works, written in the late 1870s and mid-1880s, are the two Quartets for piano and string trio presented here. Since their first concert in January 1983, the Schubert Ensemble has established itself as one of the world's leading exponents of music for piano and strings. Regularly giving around 50 concerts a year, the ensemble has performed in over 40 different countries, has over 80 commissions to it's name, has recorded over 30 critically acclaimed CDs, and is familiar to British audiences through regular broadcasts on BBC Radio 3.